Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Nina Hartley: Socialist, Feminist Porn Actress

As a secular Jew, ""I'm proud of my heritage's intellectual history and its empathy with the persecuted. But I'm no Zionist. Politically, I'm left-wing. I want everyone to have a job, everyone to have food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education. Utopia might be communist but in the meantime we have to have socialism. I want everyone to have a piece".

I mentioned at the introduction to my previous post, that I was going to post about a leftist pornography actress. I'm talking about an icon in the business Nina Hartley. Her parents were in the communist party, and her father was blacklisted from jobs. Her parents later became involved with Buddhism. They are now socialist and pacifist. Her grandfather was one of the lawyers involved in the "Scottsboro Boys" murder trial in Alabama in 1931.

Since 1984 she has acted, directed and produced over 400 films, covering several types of sexuality besides vanilla sexuality.

Nina has been involved, as a spokesperson, for the adult entertainment industry. She is articulate and passionate about free speech issues. Her fights have taken her to speaking to state legislatures, and national TV shows as Oprah. Her views are pro-sexuality feminist.

For many years she was married in a menage-a-trois arrangement, having both a husband and a wife. Now she is married to Ira Levine (AKA Ernest Green in bondage movies).

Nina is a registered nurse (RN), who graduated from Berkeley summa cum laude.

Nina was arrested once, for what I believe was some type of obscenity offense in Las Vegas. It was seen as a violation of free speech. Nina's defense was led by the ultraleftist Trotskyist Spartacist League, who made "Free Nina" a national issue.

30 comments:

The majority of pr0n that I watch could not be pitched as empowering and non-objectifying but this issue is so complex as some women want to play a role of being dominated (as do many men) and this is purely a game for sexual pleasure so acts that could be perceived as demeening (gagging, cum shots etc) can be legitimately enjoyed by many women as a fantasy sex act with no oppressive conurtations.

I don't have any problem with a socialist being a porn actor but there are some issues that may be specific to that industry that I am not sure about.

Passing by any issues of people doing porn when they really don't want to (such as those who may need it to get drugs - and no, that's not the same as working in Walmart if it effects you psychologically). I think the Porn industry is super- exploitative of its users as well: fake deals, dubious subscriptions and other rip-offs.

It's a shame the comrade, if she is such a big name and then presumably has some power, doesn’t have a site that reveals something about her politics and acts less avariciously with her customers - but maybe she is just the hired help there?

I'm quite surprised this post hasn't sparked a debate about whether porn can be progressive or not (can we have an 'ethical' or even socialist pornography)

Checked out her site - there are some interesting discussions there, although I'm not ashamed to admit some of it weas making me blush, and Nina does have a very strong sense that she works in an industry rather than doing something specifically positive. Itend to agree with the previous commenter that its a shame there isn't a place to read more about her politics in her own words.

"I used to call myself a socialist but I've evolved my thinking since then. I'm more of a social democrat, I'd say, or a plain old liberal (though I'm in support of the second amendment, unlike many other liberals).

"I labeled myself as a socialist because I usually side with the workers over management in most labor disputes, and want to see the rights of workers defended. I'm NOT a fan of unregulated capitalism, as I think it leads to horrible abuses of power and of the environment.

"So, I'm for some balance between the rights of business owners and those who create those owners' wealth through their labor.

"As well, I'm in favor of nationalized health care... What we have here as "health care" most defintely is NOt working, and it's bankrupting the country.

"Some things, the government can, and does, do better than the private sector. I think we're seeing that in Iraq, with all the waste and inefficiency of the outsourced service provision."

It would be like pulling a tooth, to get someone as Bush to say, " ...I want everyone to have a job, everyone to have food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education". Bush would talk about home ownership not shelter. I don't know if you realize, how afraid they are to say or do something that could be considered hinting of socialism.

That is the main problem with conservatism. It is so afraid of a government program working, they sabotage even their own programs. They never want to admit a government program works.

Excellent post ren... there is no reason to be a puritan and a socialist (although the Maoists and other sects will of course advocate a puritan route to communism!)

Oh on a personal note ren I know you received an email from Pocho today about a comment I left on the Further Left Forum. What he sent you and other "Team members" is a mixture of distortion and downright lie. I will be posting a response on teh Poor Mouth in due course

Many associate puritanism and socialism, because the regimes - while supposedly liberal - were incredibly puritanic at the same time. (I would rather call tyhem "Victorian").

"That is the main problem with conservatism." - as for free health care, clothing, etc - that is often part of the rightist agenda as well (who could win the elections without?) Beat is right here, sorry.(A great deal of the Hungarian riots was about that, and those well far right. But enough to have a look at the pre war elections in Europe). Also the new ones.A great lady, and an excellent post, Ren.

Porn can not be liberating. As an industry it represents some of the worst aspects of capitalism. It should not just be viewed through the rights of those involved in its making and distribution, but also as the result of an alienated society. It both reflects, feeds, and feeds off that alienation.

The objectification of women (And now, to a growing extent, of men.) does not take place solely in the arena of porn. It is something that is built into the very fabric of our society. When women were fighting for the vote it allowed powerful men to dismiss their actions and try to bully them back indoors. It allows employers to ignore the fact that on average women earn 20% less than men and it allows strip clubs and other such industries to profit off woman who are strapped for cash. (Students, single mothers...etc.) As porn has become more acceptable, a male-fantasy view of the body image and role of women has become more accepted and strived for.

This male fantasy is not something that has come out of the depths of our primal urges, but is lead by the very means by which our society is run. For example: As industrialisation has increased and classes have devolped on the grounds of producers, bosses and consumers, so has the fashionable shape for women. Nowadays it's big breasts, small hips and flat stomachs. Doesn't look much like Botticellis birth of venus. Does look like she's fighting fit, just independant enough for the changing nature of relationships, but with tones of vulnerability that feed upon a diminishing, yet still prevelent, desire from men to be in control and the bread winner.

Of course, this change is not lead exclusively by the porn industry but, as I said earlier, the porn industry reflects these changes.

It allows this fantasy to grow, it allows ever increasing expectations of what we want to see and experience in the bedroom to become more of a dominant factor in relationships.

It also exploits not just the labour power of individual men and women, but the act of lovemaking itself. In a sense, it brings the market into the bedroom and makes a profit out of lovemaking. Sex should not only be consensual, it should be free, experimental and enjoyable. It shouldn't be a performance.

You shouldn't fight porn though. You should fight the society that produces it, and alienates people to such an extent that they feel they need to watch it.

Believe me, sex would be a whole lot more fun and available under socialism.

I have been at other places too where the work of Nina has been evident to me. Though I admit there are far better contenders compared to her now we should not forget the contributions of her. She was the one who paved the way for so many to follow good to get her details in here.